News

AllThingsD has announced that Apple CEO Tim Cook will be the opening-night speaker at the 10th D: All Things Digital conference. As noted in the announcement, it will be Cook’s first appearance at the conference; late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs made several appearances at the conference, the last of which was in 2010 at D8. “We are looking forward to hearing Cook’s perspective on where the industry and Apple is going, and perhaps to get a glimpse into what makes its new leader — who is also a longtime Apple vet — tick,” writes Kara Swisher. Cook will be joined on the speaker list by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, and FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz, among others. The 10th D: All Things Digital conference will be held May 29-31 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California.

All four of the U.S.’ largest wireless providers — Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile — have agreed to a deal with the government to build a central database of stolen cellphones. The Wall Street Journal reports that the database will be built and maintained by the carriers, and will be designed to tracks phones reported as lost or stolen and deny those phones service should they attempt to be reactivated. The move hopes to reduce the number of cell phone thefts by making it difficult, if not impossible, to actually use a stolen device. “New technologies create new risks,” said Julius Genachowski, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, which negotiated the database proposal. “We wanted to find a way to reduce the value of stolen smartphones.” Apple, for its part, offers iPhone users free iCloud features such as Find My iPhone and Remote Wipe that enable users to potentially track their devices should they become lost or stolen, or otherwise delete all potentially sensitive data from the device.

AT&T, which just recently began unlocking iPhones for off-contract customers, is also unlocking iPhones for U.S. service members. MacRumors reports that the company is unlocking the handsets even if the member is still under contract with the carrier. According to the report, carriers are required to suspend service without penalty for deployed members of the military, but does required to unlock their handsets; it appears the company is choosing to do so on its own. By unlocking the iPhones, AT&T is allowing those military personnel to insert SIM cards from local carriers while overseas, helping them to avoid costly international service charges. The report suggests that deployed service members should contact AT&T customer service to get more information.

Facebook has announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire the popular photo-sharing app Instagram. According to the company, Facebook will pay roughly $1 billion in cash and shares of Facebook for San Francisco-based Instagram, with the transaction expected to close later this quarter, subject to customary closing conditions. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has issued a statement on the matter, which appears below.

“I’m excited to share the news that we’ve agreed to acquire Instagram and that their talented team will be joining Facebook.

For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family. Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.

We believe these are different experiences that complement each other. But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just trying to integrate everything into Facebook.

That’s why we’re committed to building and growing Instagram independently. Millions of people around the world love the Instagram app and the brand associated with it, and our goal is to help spread this app and brand to even more people.

We think the fact that Instagram is connected to other services beyond Facebook is an important part of the experience. We plan on keeping features like the ability to post to other social networks, the ability to not share your Instagrams on Facebook if you want, and the ability to have followers and follow people separately from your friends on Facebook.

These and many other features are important parts of the Instagram experience and we understand that. We will try to learn from Instagram’s experience to build similar features into our other products. At the same time, we will try to help Instagram continue to grow by using Facebook’s strong engineering team and infrastructure.

This is an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users. We don’t plan on doing many more of these, if any at all. But providing the best photo sharing experience is one reason why so many people love Facebook and we knew it would be worth bringing these two companies together.

We’re looking forward to working with the Instagram team and to all of the great new experiences we’re going to be able to build together.”

Code pointing to an updated version of the iPod touch has been found in an internal iOS 5.1 build, according to a new report. 9to5Mac reports that references to an “iPod5,1”—the fourth-generation iPod touch is referred to as “iPod4,1”—were found inside a file which was contained in an internal build of iOS 5.1. As noted in the report, the iPod touch was the only iOS device that didn’t receive an update last year, and also regularly accounts for more than half of Apple’s iPod sales on a quarterly basis. The report also claims that Apple is testing a new version of the iPhone with 1GB of RAM, and that the new phone will not sport a design similar to that of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S; the prototype is said to be running a variation of the A5X chip found in the third-generation iPad.

Films from Universal Studios are now available for re-download through Apple’s iCloud service. Citing multiple reader reports, MacRumors notes that films from Universal no longer display a “this movie will not be available from iTunes in the Cloud” warning when viewing the movies’ listings in iTunes, while films from 20th Century Fox retain the warning. A report from last month indicated that the absence of both Universal and Fox was attributable to a contractual obligation to pay TV channel HBO; both companies were said to be in negotiations to solve the issue.

The latest edition of iLounge Weekly, our weekly newsletter covering all things iLounge, will be arriving in subscribers’ inboxes early next week. iLounge Weekly is a summary of the week’s best news, reviews, and feature articles we’ve published, and it also features giveaways and accessory discount offers from various companies. There’s still plenty of time to sign up and receive this week’s edition — just use the simple form below to submit your email address, if you haven’t done so already.

Also, be sure to enter our new Kensington Keyfolio Expert Giveaway. In our Giveaway of the Month for April, iLounge and Kensington are giving away 10 KeyFolio Expert Multi Angle Folio & Keyboards, paired with a Virtuoso Signature Stylus and Pen. To enter, simply fill out and submit the form on the giveaway page—the giveaway will end on April 30, 2012 at 11:59PM Pacific Time. Good luck!

AT&T has announced that it will begin unlocking off-contract iPhones starting this Sunday, April 8. “Beginning Sunday, April 8, we will offer qualifying customers the ability to unlock their AT&T iPhones,” the carrier said in a statement to Engadget. “The only requirements are that a customer’s account must be in good standing, their device cannot be associated with a current and active term commitment on an AT&T customer account, and they need to have fulfilled their contract term, upgraded under one of our upgrade policies or paid an early termination fee.” The move comes after several anecdotal reports of AT&T customers successfully getting their phones unlocked by emailing Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Rockstar Games plans to release a port of its original Max Payne title for iOS. According to a Kotaku report, the game will feature “HD” graphics, high definition textures, user-configurable controls, and Rockstar Social Club functionality. Max Payne Mobile will be released on iTunes April 12, and will require an iPhone 3GS or later, fourth-generation iPod touch, or any model of iPad.

58 North has released Pholium, it’s latest app for the iPad. Pholium allows users to create high-quality, customizable digital photo books, offering the ability to import, edit, and position photos, customize the cover, fonts, and colors, store completed books in the on-device library, and share books with other iPad users, as well as realistic page turning animations and full-sized image viewing with zoom features. Pholium requires iOS 5.0 or later and sells for $9.99.

A number of third-generation iPad users are reporting 3G connectivity issues with the new LTE-capable model. Citing a growing Apple support thread, AppleInsider reports that the majority of reports have come from international users attempting to connect to 3G networks, rather than U.S. users attempting to hop on LTE networks. Users say they have tried a number of remedies, including resetting settings and replacing the SIM card, only to find that the only way to solve the problem is to cycle the power on the device between three and five times a day. While some have suggested the issue lies with iOS 5.1 or with the Qualcomm cellular chipset, the exact cause of the issue has yet to be revealed.

Both Qualcomm and Intel have provided U.S. lawyers with source code that an Apple attorney claims will help it in its ongoing patent dispute with Samsung. Bloomberg reports that the code in question will be used in an Australia trial between the two companies; in the trial, Samsung accuses Apple of infringing on patents related to wireless transmissions, which the source code may absolve them of doing. “Further non-infringing arguments can be made” from disclosure of the source code, Apple lawyer Andrew Fox said at a hearing in Sydney. The trial between Apple and Samsung—in which both companies accuse one another of infringing patents—is scheduled to begin July 9 and run through October 12.

Chillingo has released CreaVures, a new casual puzzle platformer for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. CreaVures puts the player in control of the game’s namesakes, five little mystical forest creatures possessing unique powers and abilities who must work to pull back the blanket of night and restore their forest to its former glory. Each of the five CreaVures—Bitey, Pokey, Rolly, Zappy and Flick—possesses unique talents designed for solving special puzzles and overcoming obstacles and surviving tough enemies and bosses and the player must learn to use each of these abilities together to succeed. CreaVures provides hauntingly beautiful graphics and artwork that presents a darkened world bathed in mystical, bioluminescent light, enhanced further by a haunting background soundscape and a rich fantasy background storyline. CreaVures is a universal app and is available from the App Store for $1.

Just in time for the new Avengers vs X-Men series, Marvel Entertainment has updated Marvel Comics for iOS adding a brand new digital comic style and the ability to share comics via social networks. The latest update to the Marvel Comics app adds a new ground-breaking Infinite Comics hand-drawn digital comic style designed specifically to take over the entire device screen, immersing the user in the comic reading experience. Infinite Comics will be free as a bonus with select digital comics including the new Avengers vs X-Men #1. The new version also now allows users to share any comic link via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail. Marvel Comics 3.1.1 is a universal app and is available from the App Store as a free download.

Evernote has updated Evernote Food, its food-focused companion app for Evernote, adding new location features and improvements to date and time entry and search. Evernote Food allows iPhone and iPod touch users to capture and relive their meal experiences with photos and notes that can be organized and synced via the Evernote service. Users can add additional titles, locations, tags and captions to record the experience and share the results as a sort of mini-food blog with friends via Twitter, Facebook and e-mail.

Evernote Food 1.1 adds the ability to update the date and time of any meal from the Meal Date screen, allowing users to import photos from their camera roll and manually specify their own date information. A new Place Search feature also allows users to easily locate a restaurant or geographic location along with an integrated map view and users can also create and store their own custom places. A new Meal Search feature has also been added to allow users to quickly find any meal they’ve entered. Additional enhancements include improved sync performance and status indicators, single sign-on for Evernote users and improvements to thumbnail image transitions, sharing, and photo resolution. Evernote Food 1.1 requires iOS 5.0 or later and is available from the App Store as a free download.

Apple has released iAd Producer 2.1, the latest version of its advertisement creation tool for its mobile ad network. First announced in 2010, iAd Producer allows potential advertisers to design and assemble rich interactive iAd content without any programming. Version 2.1 is a 66.8MB download, and features improved load and save performance, the ability to upload and test with iOS devices connected via USB, reduced device memory usage for image views, support for on-device debugging, Twitter integration for iAd content, simplified visualization of animations, and support for the third-generation iPad, among other improvements. iAd Producer is available now as a free download to registered developers, and requires Mac OS X 10.7.3 or later.

G5 Entertainment has released Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort, the sequel to its original Virtual City time management and city building game. Virtual City 2 takes the player to a new set of locations ranging from the coast of Florida to the snowy lands of Alaska, challenging them to build the ultimate resort city. To succeed, players must build up their infrastructure with offices, hotels, restaurants, clubs, museums and fitness centres along with completing unique missions such as launching a casino, building a ski resort and constructing an ice hotel. As in the original Virtual City, players must also master production chains, transporting and trading goods, meeting visitors’ needs and upgrading buildings in order to achieve the goals in each mission. Virtual City 2: Paradise Resort includes 52 challenging levels across four different unique environments with 29 mission scenarios, 73 types of buildings and 42 types of goods to transport and trade and also includes Game Center support with 98 special achievements to be earned. The game is available in two separate versions: Virtual City 2: Parade Resort for the iPhone and iPod touch and Virtual City: Paradise Resort HD for the iPad. Both are available from the App Store as free downloads which include a limited number of levels; the full game can be unlocked via in-app purchase for $5 (iPhone) or $7 (iPad).

Apple is actively investigating reports of Wi-Fi issues with the third-generation iPad. Citing an internal AppleCare document, 9to5Mac reports that Apple has told its contact centers and retail store to “capture” new Wi-Fi only iPads if they “exhibit any issue related to Wi-Fi”, including intermittent connectivity, slow Wi-Fi speeds, or unseen Wi-Fi networks. According to the report, an Apple support thread discussing the issue has amassed 700 replies from affected users; Apple is reportedly replacing all “captured” units.

Apple has received certification to sell Brazilian-assembled iPad 2 units in that country, according to a MacRumors report. According to the report, Apple will begin selling Brazilian-made 16GB iPad 2 units alongside third-generation models once it launches. Apple has yet to receive certification for either Chinese- or Brazilian-assembled third-generation units, but the company is planning to launch the device in Brazil with at least some domestic production. The report notes that as with the iPhone, Chinese-assembled versions of the iPad made for sale in Brazil carry the BZ/A suffix, while their Brazilian-assembled counterparts carry the suffix BR/A.

On the latest episode of The Talk Show hosted by Daring Fireball’s John Gruber and Dan Benjamin, Gruber made several comments related to Apple’s long-rumored 7-inch iPad. When asked whether Apple will release a 7-inch iPad—at roughly the 1:17:50 mark—Gruber said he didn’t know, but did say that he knows “they have one in the lab… a 7.85-inch iPad that runs at 1024 x 768, and it’s just like the 9.7-inch iPad shrunk down a little bit”. He continues, “apps wouldn’t need to be recompiled or redesigned to work optimally on it, it’s just that the iPad is smaller”.

Gruber suggested that a good way to approximate the interface is to take a screenshot on a 9.7-inch iPad in portrait mode, and then view that screenshot in landscape mode, and went on to say that the height of such a device would be very close to the width of the current model. “It’s usable,” he said, adding that “there are a couple of areas where I think the text is a little too small, but it’s not ridiculously small”. Finally, he said that he’d heard these details from numerous people, but had not heard that it was anything they are definitely going to ship, and said he felt the device was more of a “maybe”. This information matches what iLounge had previously heard from its own sources dating back to 2010.